Teacher and Social Worker
Christina Kardon 鈥�58
February 5, 2025, in Naples, Florida.
Anna Christina (“Chris”) Smith was born in the Philippines in 1937, while her father served there with Gen. Douglas MacArthur. She attended Reed despite the initial misgivings of her father, who explored Reed with the help of an editor from The Oregonian and was won over by Dean of Students Ann Shepard ’23 .
After receiving her BA degree in psychology, Chris attended Columbia University School of Social Work. During the summer, Chris worked at a camp in New Jersey for orthopedically handicapped children, where she met her future husband, Paul Kardon, then a medical student.
Paul’s training career took the couple to Brooklyn, Chicago, Manhattan, and Fort Campbell, Kentucky. At each location, Chris worked as a clinical psychiatric social worker.
In 1971, Chris and Paul settled in Poughkeepsie, New York, where Chris continued her practice and worked and taught at the Adelphi University School of Social Work. She and Paul retired to Naples in 2000.
Chris was predeceased by her son, Craig. In addition to her husband, survivors include her daughter, Gabrielle Kardon.
Appeared in Reed magazine: Fall 2025
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